Videos

Videos

Icarus the Bald Eagle on Wink News

close

12/04/2017 – Icarus updates: Monday 12/4, we received several calls at once regarding an eagle that was floundering in a canal. The residents heard a huge bang and went outside to check it out. The eagle apparently was shocked on the power line, landed on the ground and hopped into the water. Our veterinarian, Dr. Robin, and two of Punta Gorda’s finest, Officers Joe Farley & Tony Pribble, were on the scene to rescue the bird. Upon examination back at PRWC, it was noted that the bird has extensive burn marks over most of his body.
Dr Robin is working alongside FPL to identify the pole where the bird was shocked and they are working diligently to repair the issue. We would like to thank Officers Farley & Pribble for their hard work and help to rescue the eagle and to FPL for handling the situation so quickly & efficiently. You can follow Icarus progress here https://prwildlife.org/2017/12/04/the-flight-of-icarus-updates/
** This video is the property of Wink News Digital Media and is intended to be used for solely for educational purposes only. The the original story can be found here: https://www.winknews.com/2017/12/07/injured-bald-eagle-recovering-peace-river-wildlife-center-punta-gorda/

PRWC Board Participation in #GivingChallenge18 #BeTheOne

close

PRWC Board Participation in #GivingChallenge18 #BeTheOne

#BeTheOne Giving Challenge 2018 STARTS TODAY!

close

The #GivingChallenge18 Starts TODAY!
Tuesday, May 1st at noon through Wednesday, May 2nd at noon.
You can make a difference, no gift is too small.
Your donations will help save both "wild" and "domestic" lives!
You can #BeTheOne today simply by clicking https://www.givingpartnerchallenge.org and choose your favorite non profit charities, Peace River Wildlife Center - PRWC and Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County. Your donations will be matched during this 24 hour event but your gifts must be made online at https://www.givingpartnerchallenge.org
Don't forget the #BeTheOne Scavenger Hunt going on today only. #PRWC will be having a #BeTheOne Party at Ponce de Leon Park from 11a -4p and our #GivingChallenge18 Partner Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County will be hosting their party at their shelter from 12p - 8p. Participate in the #BeTheOne Scavenger Hunt and you will have a chance to win
a gift basket full of #PRWC and #AWL merchandise.
#PRWC will have complimentary donation stations available for your convenience while you visit the center at the #BeTheOne Party.
All donations will go directly toward our Capital Campaign Fund raising money for our new and improved Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center.
We appreciate your continued support! Wild Lives Matter!
Your contributions are vital to our mission, contributing to the survival of native Florida wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation and education. We cannot do this without your support! Thank you from everyone at #PRWC.
#BeTheOne #GivingChallenge18 #PeaceRiverWildlifeCenter #NonProfit #PRWC #Wildlife #WildlifeRescue #WildlifeRehab #PuntaGorda #Florida #SWFLA #AnimalWelfareLeague #AWL #BeKindToAllAnimals #FurAndFeathers #PartnersForLife
#ShelterPets

"Be The One" Giving Challenge 2018 - PRWC

close

Are you ready to "BE THE ONE" because YOU ARE PRWC!
The 2018 Giving Challenge starts Tuesday, May 1st at noon through Wednesday, May 2nd at noon.
This has been an extremely lucrative event for PRWC, having raised over $84,000 toward our Capital Campaign during the challenge in 2016. All donations gifted on this day will also go directly to PRWC's Capital Campaign Fund for a new bigger and better wildlife center to continue our mission, contributing to the survival of native Florida wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation and education.
To strengthen your giving during the 2018 Giving Challenge, The Patterson Foundation will provide a 1:1 match for all unique donations, up to $100 per donor. The minimum donation is $25.
This year, PRWC has partnered with Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County to help each other promote the event. The PRWC will be holding a big "Be The One" party and Scavenger Hunt in the Ponce de Leon Park on May 1st and the AWL will also have an event at their facility as well. Your matching donations must be made online only at www.GivingPartnerChallenge.org and choose PRWC as your Non-Profit Charity to Support. We will have complementary Donation Stations available for your convenience at the "Be The One" party.
Anytime from noon to noon May 1st-2nd, you can go to www.GivingPartnerChallenge.org and Be The One by making your secured donation to Peace River Wildlife Center and Animal Welfare League.
BE THE ONE because YOU ARE PRWC! Thank you for your Support! Look for more updates as we get closer to this BIG day.
#BeTheOne #GivingChallenge18 #FurAndFeathers #BeKindToAnimals #PartnersForLife Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County
The 2018 Giving Challenge is organized by: the Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Strengthened and Sponsored by: The Patterson Foundation
Supported by: Knight Foundation, Manatee Community Foundation, William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, Charlotte Community Foundation, Herald-Tribune Media Group, SNN, The Suncoast News Network, HARBOR STYLE Magazine and iHeartMedia Inc..

Orion the Barred Owl and Dr. Robin preparing for Earth Day 2018

close

This video interview and description below is property of and provided by BRET CLARK at PlanetEnglewood.com and used solely for educational purposes only. Thank you Planet Englewood!
The bad news is that Orion, a Barred Owl, could not be returned to the wild when he was discovered (and, unfortunately fed) by humans and had to be taken to The Peace River Wildlife
Center in Punta Gorda, where, as explained by Executive Director Robin Jenkins, DVM, he was found to be too habituated to humans and had lost his ability to fend for himself in the wild. The
good news is that, as one of the resident Educational Animals at PRWC, he makes for a good teaching moment for humans who want to learn more about the species, and what to do with a
fledgling or hatchling that seems lost and in need of human intervention (which is almost always not the case).
Because his long term prospects in the wild were not promising, Orion became an educational ambassador for his roommates who are also permanent residents at the PRWC: those with
conditions or injuries so severe they cannot be released back into the wild, spending their lives instead dedicated to venturing into to classrooms, festivals, and other venues to give people a hint
at the good works being done at the Center, and other Wildlife Rescue Centers in Florida. Educational Animals such as Orion, while, unlike many other injured and orphaned creatures
rescued from precarious predicaments cannot be returned to their natural environment, provide an up-close experience for humans interested in learning more about their habitats, and the many
other creatures that still live in the wild.
Orion (and Dr. Jenkins) can be found at Englewood’s Earth Day Sunday Festival where Jenkins is scheduled to make a presentation on the mission of wildlife rescue centers to treat, and release (where feasible), native Florida wildlife who have been orphaned, injured, or are ill, on Sunday, April 22nd (11:00 AM) at Buchans Community Park (next to the Buchans Air Field on the corner of Old Englewood Road and State Road 776). They can also be found at the Peace River Wildlife Center 3400 Ponce de Leon Parkway in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Dr. Robin Interviewed with Blossom the Awesome Opossum

close

This video interview and description below is property of and provided by BRET CLARK at PlanetEnglewood.com and used solely for educational purposes only. Thank you Planet Englewood!
Blossom (the opossum) showed up one day at the Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda and quickly became one of the Center’s permanent residents and Educational Animals (one of the few at PRWC that are not birds) due to a common issue facing animals who have been injured or orphaned while living in their natural habitat: they are unable to function in the wild as nature
intended. In Blossom’s case, as Dr. Robin Jenkins, DVM, Executive Director, explained in a recent interview, “her mentation was never right” from the very beginning. The mentation of an animal such as Blossom refers to her neurological state which, for her, means
that, because of a congenital issue or perhaps even trauma to the brain, she is unable to react to stimulus in the correct way to survive in the wild as, for example, by being all cute and cuddly with
her human benefactors instead of doing the smart thing and running as fast as she can in the opposite direction. Although an animal such a Blossom, being as docile and loving as she is, would
seem to make a good pet, Jenkins quickly dispels any such notion.
While often humans will attempt to raise a baby animal that has been orphaned and are cute and cuddly at first, eventually they will get to an age where “natural instincts kick in and they become
wild - they can get mean” Jenkins said. She stresses the importance of having trained wildlife professionals nurture the animals in the right way when they are young and vulnerable, until they reach the point where they can be released back where they belong: the wild. Oh, and lest we forget, Pogo the Possum was there for the First Earth Day.
Blossom (and Dr. Jenkins) can be found at Englewood’s Earth Day Sunday Festival where Jenkins is scheduled to make a presentation on the mission of wildlife rescue centers to treat, and release (where feasible), native Florida wildlife who have been orphaned, injured, or are ill, on Sunday, April 22nd (11:00 AM) at Buchans Community Park (next to the Buchans Air Field on the corner of Old Englewood Road and State Road 776). They can also be found at the Peace River Wildlife Center, 3400 Ponce de Leon Parkway in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Luna the Screech Owl Earth Day 2018 Rehearsal Interview

close

This video interview and description below is property of and provided by BRET CLARK at PlanetEnglewood.com and used solely for educational purposes only. Thank you Planet Englewood!
Luna, a leucistic (albino) Eastern Screech Owl, is among a number of permanent residents at the Peace River Wildlife Center who, unlike many other injured and orphaned creatures rescued from
precarious predicaments, cannot be returned to his natural environment in the wild. As is often the case where an individual from a species stands out by looking different, Luna’s
unique appearance as a diminutive, snow white screech owl, made him more of an attractive target for predators to descend upon, as opposed to an outstanding example of the diversity of nature, admired by other members of the Animal Kingdom (including humans).
As explained on the PRWC website, “[t]he prevalence of albinism has been estimated in some species at 1 in 20,000. The chances of complete leucism are estimated at more like 1 in 100,000. It is
difficult to ascertain the number of wild animals with these conditions because they usually do not survive long.” In April of 2013 when Luna was first discovered, alone with his parents nowhere in sight, it was thought that he may have fluttered out of the nest (as fledglings often do when they are first stretching their growing wings), or he may have been intentionally kicked out of the nest to prevent him from drawing too much unwanted attention.
According to Dr. Robin Jenkins, DVM, Executive Director at the Center, “the screech owl’s main advantage is its camouflage. Their bark-coloured feathers allow them to blend into the tree in which
they are perching.” As he grew and started to perch on the edge of the nest, Luna was a beckoning white flag waving to nearby predators, as if to signal: “We surrender! Come eat us!”
“This little marshmallow would quickly become the component of some predator’s s’more if left on his own” said Jenkins.
Because his long term prospects in the wild were not promising, Luna became an educational ambassador for his roommates who are also permanent residents at the Center: those with
conditions or injuries so severe they cannot be released back into the wild, dedicating their lives instead to venturing to classrooms, festivals, and other venues to give people an idea of what is
happening at places like PRWC, and to provide an up-close experience with some of the beautiful wildlife that still exist in their natural environment. Luna (and Dr. Jenkins) can be found at Englewood’s Earth Day Sunday Festival where Jenkins is
scheduled to make a presentation on the mission of wildlife rescue centers to treat, and release (where feasible), native Florida wildlife who have been orphaned, injured, or are ill, on Sunday,
April 22nd (11:00 AM) at Buchans Community Park (next to the Buchans Air Field on the corner of Old Englewood Road and State Road 776). They can also be found at the Peace River Wildlife
Center, 3400 Ponce de Leon Parkway in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Phoenix Rises from the Ashes - American Bald Eagle

close

Steve Doocy from Fox News & Friends speaks live with Dr. Robin about Phoenix the Bald Eagle. This video is for educational purposes and is the property of Fox News and Friends.
Sunday, January 13th, 2013 was an incredibly lucky day for a bald eagle that has been dubbed Phoenix. If you can consider having been caught on fire lucky. January 13, 2013 is the day Phoenix came in contact with an electrical transformer and accidentally triggered an arc. While he was fortunate to not be electrocuted, the intense heat of the arc flash, which can reach four times the temperature of the sun, burnt the feathers on the right side of his body. When presented to Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda Florida, his chances of survival looked slim. All of the feathers on his right wing were scorched to the shaft, half of his tail feathers were gone, and the skin on the right side of his face and right foot were singed. The next 24 to 48 hours would reveal whether or not the current flowed through his body, which would result in the death of any tissues (skin, muscle, even organs) through which the current passed.
Under close observation for the next three days, Phoenix flourished. He immediately began eating and seemed relatively resigned to his captive state. Once the concern over internal damage was passed, the question remained would the damaged skin and feathers grow back normally and how long would it take? As he recovered from the initial shock of being shocked, Phoenix got stronger and feistier. He was transferred to a larger habitat, further away from the hustle and bustle of the rehabilitation and visitor's center. It is there that Phoenix awaits his future. The singed skin on his face and foot has healed. Almost all of the scorched feathers have fallen out. Many new feathers have grown in, but it may take up to three years before Phoenix has replaced every damaged feather and is ready to fly free again. With your generous donations, PRWC will be able to continue to feed and care for Phoenix and monitor his progress.

Little Otter Baby being bottle fed

close

Our little otter baby was moderately dehydrated when it came in yesterday. On intake, our first priority is to get a young animal’s temperature back to normal since many are unable to regulate their body temp and come to us chilled. Once warmed, they’re re-hydrated before given any wildlife-appropriate formulas. Here, the otter was willingly lapping up re-hydration fluids by syringe yesterday, a great start!

"WILD" Super Bowl LII Predictions, Watch our animals make their guess

close

Our Wildlife Animals at the PRWC made some "Wild" predictions of who the Champions will be before Super Bowl Sunday

Bella the Great Horned Owl Hooting Whoooo's coming to Visit?

close

Bella’s so spunky on this cool day and keeps asking “whooooo’s coming to visit me today?” 😉. All our birds are chatty now they’ve warmed up after our chilly morning!

Spirit the Fish Crow Dancing and Talking to her Favorite Volunteer

close

It’s Friday!! Which means...it’s almost the weekend! Looks like our fish crow Spirit is celebrating by doing a dance that she does ONLY for her most favorite volunteer, Lee. ❤️❤️❤️

Adventure and Wildlife Hosted by the Shark Brothers - Episode 3

close

It's time to get wild with the latest episode of Adventure and Wildlife - Hosted by the Shark Brothers!
This episode's Conservation Spotlight Segment features a visit to the Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda, Florida. This non-profit facility is dedicated to the rescue, care, protection and preservation of the area's injured or orphaned native wildlife and public education.

Live at Fisherman's Village Punta Gorda, Florida

close

2018 Schedule: January through April - The PRWC will be at Fisherman's Village on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11a - 2p. See Luna, Bella and Blossom along with Annie, Maggie and Allistar with their handlers John and Diane. We look forward to seeing you there!

Baby Wild Bunny Eastern Cottontail Eating his Milk Mix

close

December in Florida: the rabbits continue to breed. For proof, check out this way too cute cottontail bunny lapping up formula!
In SW Florida, the rabbits breed almost year round. This one is one of six bunnies who are moving to a pre-release cage today. Many of our bunnies come in caught by dogs or cats or disturbed by lawn mowers. Wild baby rabbits are difficult to raise even for wildlife rehabbers so we're always happy when they do well!

Spirit the Fish Crow watching Cartoons

close

Have you ever seen a crow watching cartoons? This is our resident Fish Crow Spirit getting some enrichment in the form of cartoons on YouTube! And yes, that’s on a phone that one of our rehabbers shared with Spirit lol. Crows are very intelligent and benefit from new stimuli and activities. Spirit recently injured her foot and has been staying in our hospital lately for bed rest. She’s almost 14 years old and is starting to show her age. In the meantime, Spirit’s lovin’ the special attention she’s getting during recovery!

Barn Owl Nestling having breakfast before being re-nested

close

It’s been a busy holiday season at PRWC with injured and orphaned wildlife but one highlight this week was re-nesting one angry little barn owl. He wasn’t even appreciative of his breakfast before going back to mom and his nest in...you got it, a barn.
Thanks go out to our hard working volunteer rescuers!!

Lesser Scaups released back to wild after red tide toxins

close

RELEASE DAY:
Many of our Facebook friends know we had a red tide event hit PRWC mid-December. We lost too many lesser scaups, many dying in their first few hours or being found dead on Charlotte Harbor beaches after exposure to red tide. Red tide toxins paralyze birds and other animals. The scaups are a migratory duck that winters in the harbor and may have been susceptible after the exertion of migration.
We were SO happy to release the survivors this past week!! We still have another 8 Scaups in care.

Brazilian Free-Tail Bat Mealworm Lunch Break

close

Our Brazilian free-tailed bat was enjoying his lunch today at the Mealworm Cafe. This little guy came to us after he was found weak and lethargic on the ground. He's slowly getting stronger each day. But...that cute little face!

Downy Woodpeckers Release to the Wild

close

In wildlife rehab you have to take the bad with the good. But these Downy Woodpecker nestlings were part of the good with a GREAT ending...partly because they're so adorable and we see them rarely. But especially because of their stories. One had fractured both legs in the same spot! He had a very uncertain prognosis. His sister had a fracture on her femur. The amazing thing is baby bird bones heal so quickly! And since they were nestlings they wouldn't be moving around much to start.
It's the best feeling to see a bird with a healing leg fracture begin to stand, perch or cling like a woodpecker! We couldn't do all this without your continued support so thank you.

Baby Birds! Baby Birds!

close

It's raining outside but we're still goin' strong at the center this Saturday. Talk about some noisy birds! We've gotten in several new babies from our stormy weather this week and they don't let you forget 'em, that's for sure. They keeps our volunteers busy since they get fed every half hour.
In this group we have grackles and red bellied woodpeckers...you probably noticed the woodies picking on each other. The two pairs are siblings but woodpecker babies aren't known for getting along! They still grow up together, as long as each can hold its own.

Infant Brazilian Free Tailed Bat Feeding Time

close

WARNING: Dangerous cuteness ahead.
This infant Brazilian free tailed bat came in this week. He weighed only 3 grams on intake! He's so tiny! Some baby bats (tree roosting species like a yellow bat baby in our care) will nurse by lapping formula off a silicone syringe tip but free tailed bats (who are crevice dwellers) won't lap. Instead they suck on tiny formula-soaked pieces of makeup applicator sponges, a technique developed by Bat World of Texas. This tiny free tailed bat is taking to it like a pro!
** Bats are rabies vector species and should only be handled by those with proper licensing and pre-exposure rabies vaccinations.

American Bald Eagle Release

close

This Bald Eagle was admitted to the Center on 12/17/2016, found on the side of the road possibly hit by a vehicle. After about 10 days of Treatment, the Eagle was strong enough to go outside into a larger cage for perching, eating and strengthening the wings for flight. On 1/9/2017 this Eagle fully recovered and was released back into the wild.

Wood Stork Release 1/3/2017

close

This Wood Stork, a threatened species, was admitted to the Center and during the examination the Hospital Staff determined it was shot with a BB Gun which had fractured his wing. The Stork's wing was stabilized and treated while it healed. A long 5 weeks later this lucky bird showed us it has recovered and was ready to be returned to the wild...and that's exactly what we did.

First Release of 2017! Double Crested Cormorant

close

First Release of 2017! This Beautiful Double Crested Cormorant patient was admitted to the Center in mid-December affected by Red Tide Toxins, went through some intensive care and has now lived to tell the tale. A BIG Thank You to our incredible Hospital Rehabilitation Staff, our Amazing Volunteers and the Generous Donors who devote themselves to our Mission and Cause. We can't do this without you!

Pileated Woodpeckers start to finish

close

These 2 Pileated woopeckers came to the center displaced this past summer and re-nesting was not an option. They grow up so fast! This video shows when they arrived until the were released into the wild.

Dobbi the Opossum

close

Have you visited the PRWC recently? If so you've probably had a peek at our resident opossum Dobby. Dobby's had a growth spurt recently and seems to be packing on the weight (for our Florida winter? Haha)! To keep him on a diet but not bored all day, he gets puzzle feeders...here he is with a kong toy with treats and superworms hidden inside. As you see, he really enjoyed his treat!
Come on down for a visit this weekend! We're open 11-4 seven days a week.

Red Shouldered Hawk Release after Successful Imping

close

Here is the red-shouldered hawk that had the tail imped yesterday at his release.
What do you do when a hawk has broken flight feathers? You give it "extensions". Yesterday in order to return a high-stress hawk to its home, we had to resort to a procedure we've never done, imping new feathers onto broken flight feathers. Imping, short for implantation, is a falconry practice of taking old feathers and attaching them to broken feathers via a lightweight pin between the two ends, to enable a hawk to fly and release without having to wait until the hawk molts and grows new ones.
This juvenile red-shouldered hawk had a minor run in with a car. The impact broke some tail feathers and weakened others. He was soon eager to release but had no tail feathers! We were excited to try this thousand year old practice and were pleased with the results

American Bald Eagle Release

close

How 'bout an eagle release to start your Friday! This adult bald eagle was recently rescued by Officer Nord of Charlotte County Animal Control. The eagle seemed to have sustained minor head trauma but recovered quickly over the last few days. The best part of her release (what we didn't get on camera of course) was when she swung back and flew overhead us, flying strong for as long as we could see her!

Opossum Chomp

close

What is that I hear? Some of our "kids" with their road trip snacks on the way to release!
A total of 9 opossums, they were raised from orphaned babies and are ready for the real world now. ❤️

cute wiggly bunny noses

close

Here are some cute wiggly bunny noses to brighten your weekend!
These 6 eastern cottontails (although you only see 3 or 4 at the most) have been moved to a soft release pen today to be released later this week. Looks like they can't wait to chew their way to freedom!

Free-Tailed Bat NINJA

close

Did you know bats can be fast crawlers? Well this one is NINJA fast as he grabs a worm and scurries back into hiding!
This juvenile Brazilian free-tailed bat got caught between a glass and a screen door in Punta Gorda. He was thin and dehydrated when he came in a couple of weeks ago and was eager to go after his stay at the "Ritz"!

Baby Squirrel Season

close

We're in the middle of baby squirrel season at PRWC. In Florida squirrels breed twice a year, late winter and late summer. Check out these less than a week old squirrels who were displaced by tree trimming and who've finally learned how to nurse from a syringe and nipple. Neonate squirrels this young have to be fed every 3 hours round the clock!
Be careful trimming trees or even better, postpone tree trimming work for a few weeks when possible. The squirrels will thank you!

Bobcat Release Slow Motion Video

close

Here's a slow-mo video of our bobcat release that we finally got uploaded. Wait for it!

Pileated Woodpecker Release

close

We rarely see baby pileated woodpeckers and this year we got in 3! The second set came in very young, less than a week old. They thrived despite being so young and grew so fast--what delightful baby birds!

A short video of Dr. Robin Jenkins introducing the Peace River Wildlife Center.

Juvenile Raccoon angry display

close

You know young raccoons are raised as wild as possible when they display this angry behavior! This raccoon is one of 6 juveniles who came in as babies and were finally released this week.
We're in the middle of raccoon breeding season! If you see a raccoon out in the daytime, don't be immediately alarmed. It could be a mom searching for food for her family or an inexperienced juvenile out on his own. To reduce nuisance issues with raccoons, don't leave any food out, remove cat food at night, and secure trash cans. If you suspect you have a raccoon denning in your attic, shine a bright light and/or play music in the attic space. The disturbances make the area inhospitable to a mother raccoon and she'll want to move her family to an alternate den without having to separate the family with trapping.

Pileated Woodpeckers Update

close

These Woodpeckers sure grow fast! Look how big they are now in just a few weeks time.

Awesome Opossum

close

And then just because opossums are awesome, here's a video clip. Check out how well they can maneuver food with their paws!
This young opossum may have either metabolic bone disease or sustained a hit to the head somehow which makes him uncoordinated and weak.

Screech Owl Nestling

close

It's screech owl nesting season. This is our first screech baby this year! So tiny. Mom nested in the vent of a house under construction when the babies fell from the vent. Two were dead and this one was a little worse for wear afterwards.
Screech owls nest in cavities, which is usually in dead palm trees around here. Be careful if you're planning to remove a dead palm since there could a family of screech owls, or woodpeckers, in it. If you do plan to remove a tree and find a family of birds in it, please consider leaving the tree for a few more weeks while the babies grow up. If you'd like to encourage screech owls to nest near you, put up a nesting box. Screech owls like those too!

Pileated Woodpeckers 2

close

For those who are following our "alien" baby birds, our suspected baby pileated woodpeckers are now confirmed pileateds now that they're getting their red caps. So adorable! These guys are so strong and doing wonderfully. Here's their latest feeding time video.
If you'd like to help us feed and care for these babies and our many other patients, check out http://peaceriverwildlifecenter.org/donate for donation options. We thank you!

Pileated Woodpecker Nestlings

close

These naked nestlings are some of our newest intakes. By their large size and young age we think they are nestling pileated woodpeckers! Look at those necks! They're strong and vocal so we're hoping they have a good chance still. Unfortunately in their case, re-nesting was not an option.

Opposum Breathing Treatment

close

For a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes, check out this short clip of our mom opossum getting a breathing treatment on Saturday. She had trouble breathing the first few days because of her head injuries but she's much better now. It's amazing how calm she got once the treatment took effect!

Great Horned Owl Fledgling getting in the Groove

close

A Great Horned Owl Fledgling getting in the Groove

Baby Raccoon Eating From Bottle

close

Looks like someone's hungry! This days old raccoon came to us after she and her siblings were found on the ground. Her siblings hadn't survived and when mom didn't return for this girl, she was brought to us. She's doing wonderfully with our raccoon guru Judy! She'll require feedings every 3 hours for the next few weeks but will be raised to be wild for release when she's older. Remember, raccoons are NOT pets and should be handled only by trained, permitted, vaccinated professionals.
But now that we know raccoons are breeding (again!) it's a good time to discuss what to do for a nuisance raccoon. We get calls every year asking what to do about a raccoon mom nesting in their attic or boat. Homeowners often call trappers first thing but not all trappers are ethical. Many times the family's separated, mom harmed, or babies left behind to die. If you discover a family of raccoons in your attic or boat, try a few humane deterrents first to get mom to leave on her own. Mom wants a quiet, warm place to raise her babies and she will have alternate den sites. So to encourage her to leave for an alternate site, make her current site (your attic or boat!) unappealing: light, sound, and smell. Shine a bright light into the area, play loud music on a radio, and place a small amount of vinegar into the area. (Be careful of having too strong of a vinegar odor, it can be overpowering for the babies. Just enough to smell bad.). Introduce one or two and add another as needed. It's best to introduce the deterrents just before dusk so mom isn't moving babies during the day, where she could encounter dangers and interruptions. Once mom leaves with babies, check the den site THOROUGHLY for any babies! If the area is empty, seal off her entrance hole. We had a homeowner who used these deterrents in her attic last week and within just 6 hours, her raccoon family had left! Mom was not harmed or relocated, babies were still with mom and all was well.
Lastly, to deter all raccoons, do NOT feed them, which includes leaving out cat food for feral cats. It's illegal to feed raccoons!

Raccoon Tadpole Frenzy

close

Our juvenile raccoons got some live tadpoles last week, their first time with food that moved. It was entertaining to watch them figure out what was in the pool!. It's a common myth that raccoons wash their food. In fact, they are actually "tasting" their food through hypersensitive touch! Raccoons have remarkably sensitive paws, so much so that their tactile sense is just as important as sight or hearing when it comes to understanding and finding their food.

Green Heron Tadpole Frenzy

close

Check out our fledgling green herons with their first live food experience! We couldn't believe how excited they were and how quickly they jumped down to catch the tadpoles!!
Consider donating to PRWC today. Your support helps us help our wildlife!

Osprey Release 1 29 16

close

Check out the osprey's release. He looks glad to be back! This is what we want for all our patients. Thank you Tom & Barb for making this happen!

Common Gallinule Moorhen Baby

close

This adorable Common Gallinule Moorhen Hatchling is learning how to hunt and eat on its own